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Entries tagged Home Foundation Repair

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, September 9, 2016. Co-authored by Mike Likvan.

Foundation Repair Estimates – 7 Things To Consider Before You Buy

When you notice signs of foundation damage, either cracks in your basement foundation walls, or doors and windows sticking upstairs, the next step you take is critical to the long-term health of your home and your wallet. Because foundation

Shiny new appliances, new siding, new cabinets and beautiful new floors, what is there not to love? The house is in the right location, has the right look and the price is right…time to put in an offer right? Not so fast, unfortunately there can

A large number of cracks, particularly if they are on an angle or are substantial in width (more than 1/8” wide), in a foundation wall are good indicators that the wall is experiencing what is referred to an inward movement. Essentially the wall has fractured and is rotating

A majority of homes have concrete sidewalks, patios or driveways around them. If it does, there is a good chance that this concrete has settled over time as well. This settled concrete is unsightly, takes away from the value of your home, causes water in your

When there is structural damage to a home’s foundation it’s a pretty big deal. Depending on the nature and extent of the damage, the potential for further harm to the home can be devastating and very few homeowners allow the problem to continue without

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, April 5, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

Drive or walk through any city and its surrounding suburbs, perhaps with a detour into the countryside, and it will quickly become apparent that there are lots of different kinds of homes. Obviously, there’s a wide range of sizes, from small ranches and

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, March 22, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

The past few years have featured a broad offering of weather in Chicago. Cold spring, warm spring. Wet summer, dry summer. Lots of snow in the winter, no snow in the winter. Interesting to Tom Skilling, no doubt, but mystifying and occasionally

We recently met a homeowner who had suffered some serious foundation damage to his home. His foundation was dropping significantly and had apparently been doing so for a number of years. He had declined to have the foundation repaired after an inspection by another

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, March 8, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

Many homes in the Midwest, including in Milwaukee and northwest Indiana, are sitting on foundations constructed of concrete block. During housing booms, concrete block becomes popular with builders because they can build a foundation quickly and move on to the aboveground structure faster than they

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, February 22, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

There are lots of reasons that homeowners put off home repairs. The problem is minor. The repairs cost too much. The work would be intrusive, messy or otherwise bothersome. They have other priorities, etc., etc.

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, February 8, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

Let me be blunt: When your foundation is in trouble, it’s bad news. Foundation damage, whether caused by a wall that has bowed or rotated inward or by one that has dropped due to soil shrinkage, can cause serious damage to the

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, February 1, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

When your home suffers structural foundation damage, it’s pretty serious business. It’s not a repair you can put off because the damage to your foundation – and the rest of your home – can only get worse. It’s

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, January 25, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

If your home’s foundation has dropped significantly, you’ll see lots of warning signs: cracks in drywall, stuck windows and doors, stair-step cracks running through exterior brick facing. When you go into the basement, the signs are even clearer: major cracks in walls and

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, January 11, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

Home repairs are no different than any other field of endeavor – methods change as technology improves and what was standard practice just a few years ago may have been replaced by something better, faster or stronger.

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, January 4, 2013. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

There have been many changes and advancements in home construction materials over the years. Asphalt shingles have replaced wood shakes, drywall is now the standard over plaster and vinyl siding is far more common than wooden clapboards.

Structural foundation damage is one of the most serious problems that Chicago homeowners can face. It not only leads to water infiltration but, left unrepaired, can threaten the very structure and stability of the house itself. It’s nothing to take lightly.

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, November 30, 2012. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

When it comes to structural foundation repair, as in many other fields, technology is constantly improving. It used to be that the only repair method for cracked, bulging or tipping foundation walls, whether poured concrete or masonry, was steel.

Posted by Matthew Stock on Friday, October 12, 2012. Co-authored by Barry Schilling.

You and your family loved your home, liked the neighborhood (and the neighbors) and hated the thought of moving. However, your growing family soon began to make the house feel cramped so you decided to stay put and built an addition on to the house - a couple